6 Rules for Outstanding Content

November 25, 2016

I’m always learning something new as a Marketing and Sales Manager at PayGo. Sometimes I’m learning how to translate tech-speak into human-speak. My background is in retail and communications. Since taking this job, I’ve spent a lot of time asking, “Okay, but what does that mean? And how does this work? I don’t get it. Can you explain it again? One more time?”

Other times, I’m dedicating energy into figuring out how to best reach our current and future customers through various platforms (Facebook, Twitter, and now Pinterest, with plans to get onto Instagram).

Today, I read a chapter of Gary Vaynerchuk’s Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook…How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World. In case you haven’t heard of him before, he made himself known by taking his family’s wine business from $3M to $60M straight out of college. Much of his success has been attributed to his skills at leveraging Social Media. He’s taken his gifts and opened VaynerMedia, a digital media agency. This blog isn’t about him though. It’s about the great advice I read today in a chapter of his Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook book.

Vaynerchuk’s 6 Rules for Outstanding Content (paraphrased):

Make it Native. What does that mean? It means the content looks like it belongs on the platform it’s on. For instance, those crafty, creative how-to’s that work perfect on Pinterest might not feel natural on Twitter. Newsy bits of text that seem normal on Twitter might be in a strange land on Instagram.

Don’t Interrupt. Instead of interrupting the experience your audience is trying to get to, be the experience. Provide the tips they’re online to find or the entertainment they’re seeking.

Don’t Make Demands… Often. Give, give, give, give….then ask. Vaynerchuk compares it to being a kid asking a parent for ice cream. Most of the time the parent is going to say no, but sometimes, perhaps after behavior the parent is grateful for, he or she will say yes.

Leverage Pop-Culture. As a retailer, you have a great advantage in getting to know your customers when they come through the door of your store. When posting online think about who they are and what they are into.

Think Micro. Rather than thinking of content as some term paper that must be written, be human, engage in bits. Focus on being simple, immediate, and relevant.

Be Consistent and Self-Aware. Everything you put out there on Social Media for your business must answer the question, “Who are we?”

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